1. 5-b) 2012 Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources
Strategic Co-ordination Group
Brussels, 10 November 2010
Jacques DELSALLE
European Commission
DG Environment
Water Unit (D1)

2. The Blueprint will:
Assess the implementation and achievements of policies and measures in place to ensure the protection and availability of EU water resources
Look forward at the evolving vulnerability of the water environment to assess the sufficiency of existing measures and tools, and evaluate potential new instruments to ensure a sustainable use of good quality water in the EU in the long term.
The Blueprint will synthesise policy recommendations drawing from the evaluation exercise, and will be accompanied by a number of reports and new initiatives, including of a legislative nature if appropriate.

3. Link with on-going processes
The Blueprint will include the 3 reviews foreseen for 2012
Assessment of river basin management plans
Review of the Strategy for Water Scarcity and Droughts
Review of the vulnerability of water and environmental resources to climate impacts and man-made pressures.

4. Outlook of sustainability and vulnerability of EU water resources
Impact Assessment
Outlook of sustainability and vulnerability of EU water resources
« Fitness Check»
EU water
policy
instruments
Policy Options
(e.g.
Land-use
management
Economic
instruments
Eco-innovation)
2012
Blueprint To
Safeguard
EU Waters
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management
Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Report on 2009
River Basin
Management Plans
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts
Strategy
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts Strategy
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts Strategy
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts Strategy
Review
Water Scarcity
& Droughts Strategy
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation
Climate Change
Vulnerability
& Adaptation
A common assessment complementing SOER2010
Organic/Nutrient pollution, dangerous substances
Hydromorphology / Sediments
Water gap
Disruption water cycle
Droughts
Floods
Common cross-sectoral / cross-policy assessment (drivers, responses)
Baseline, trends, uncertainty, scenarios.
focus on ecosystem services
Scenarios for ecosystem conditions & services
Quantification of the benefits and cost of land-use measures.
cost curves for water supply and demand curves
geographical (RB) and sectoral level of detail
effectiveness and affordability of economic instruments
link between water and consumption (footprint/virtual water)
boost innovation in the water sector
“Fitness Test” EU Water policy framework
Assessing:
effectiveness of current policies
need for further policies or measures necessary to strengthen the resilience of EU water policy
Knowledge base
Indicators, assessments
WISE Implementation
Policy instruments
Regulation
Economic instruments
Soft instruments
Costs and benefits inaction / action
Implementation (Reporting, Infrigements)

5. Outlook of sustainability and vulnerability of EU water resources
Driving Forces
Responses
Pressures
State
Impacts

6. Fitness Check New process part of EC smart regulation policy
Systematic check that all EU laws meet their objectives in an efficient way.
Water policy selected as a pilot area
Objective:
assess the effectiveness of the policy measures taken in achieving the objectives already agreed in the context of water policy
identify whether any gap needs to be filled to deliver our environmental objectives more efficiently.

7. Policy options
To be further identified as a result of the Outlook and the Fitness Check.
To be mainstreamed into Europe 2020 priorities
Potential areas:
Demand management
Improved water efficiency
Spatial measures
Eco-innovation
etc.

8. Modus Operandi Stakeholder consultation Contracts
Contribution from JRC, EEA and Research projects
Other on-going processes